What AJ said is pretty much my experience as well. He is very knowledgeable, has had a couple different Axis'
My opinion is definitely go with with the A24, hands down, no discussion. IMO the A24 is the best malibu wake ever. I do like the MB F21/21TWB wake with a bow sack on the seats, it is steep, firm, and fun. The A24 is a lot more versatile though. The MB's have a real deep V which is great for choppy water. I never ride or drive in choppy water so that means nothing to me. The MB ballast is awesome in theory and use, but it has its faults as well. You cannot adjust wake by adding water if up on plane. In the Axis, you can fill or drain at speed or sitting. You can easily add sacks to the Axis, MB you must hand fill or add pumps. The Axis A24 wake is super clean no ballast at slow speeds, mellow, flat, easy to ride and learn, but if you fill her up and have rear sacks and the bow sack under the seats, drop the wedge, and you have a huge pro wake. I rode an A24 a day after I rode my friends G... The A24 wake is a little different but just as good, just as big, just as fun, and almost half the price. I love the A24 wake, more than my A22 wake.
I wakeboard 100% of the time, so the surf, I cannot help you with, but surf gate is really cool and fun. Not sure what MB does.
Interior fit n finish MB wins, their vinyl quality is a little bit better and you get a lot more choices. Driver helm is funny in the MB, the control screen for gauges and speed control are so far forward, you have to almost lean out of your seat to touch it. It is a poor design. The helm is really spread out, the throttle is way far away from driver seat compared to most other brands. If you are a short and wide person, this might be nice and feel good, except for the far away control touch screen. Like AJ said, the floor is high and the dash and steering wheel is low. The windshield is way too low, you will never need the bolster, unless surfing. Since you wakeboard most the time like me, your head is above the windshield (at least in the 2015 I just demo'd). The interior space is bigger in the MB, small sun pad, small bow, a lot of cabin space in the F21, and I can only imagine how much bigger it is in the F22 or 23 wide body. The handling as far as around the dock is okay, axis is better, the turning of the MB is poor, especially when loaded down and it is sensitive from side to side, so you have to watch the wake and make sure it stays clean. The Axis is solid, turns awesome, even when loaded down, not very side to side sensitive, wake is clean clean clean. The stereo in the MB was excellent. Had bluetooth and we hooked up immediately with no issues, exile system was installed and straight from the mb dealership the sound was great. May need some tuning if you are a music snob, but for me, I thought it was clean and loud, very very nice. MB is a bit cheaper now I think, for comparable boats, and I do not know for sure but the warranty may be better. I think resale on the Axis may be better, especially with the bigger motor and surf gate.
I would go drive and ride them. They really are complete opposites in almost every way, except that they both have great wakes and are excellent boats for the money. You can't go wrong either way, but a demo of both will make your decision easy, and clear, in my experience.
_________________ John 2011 A22
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